Identity fraud, a growing national problem, occurs whenever an individual uses stolen or fabricated identity information to obtain goods or services that they would not normally have privilege to access. From identity theft to identity misrepresentation, identity fraud is not only a problem to identity presenters and identity verifiers because it costs them time and money, but it is an additional problem to identity presenters because it inhibits or removes their ability to positively identify himself or herself, which is central to everyday activities. Once the ability to identify oneself positively is complicated or stolen, day-to-day activities are hindered at the least, if not halted.
In the current system of identity verification, individuals present tokens to identify themselves. For example, registering for services or accessing restricted areas or products typically requires presentation of some type of identification token. To purchase cigarettes an individual must present a form of identity that verifies they are of age to purchase them. This identification is usually some type of driver's license or identity card. Additionally, to pay for something via most forms of payment (e.g. credit, debit, or checking), one has to verify their identity as an account holder on the presented account. This is usually achieved by their presenting some type of token that represents the account. This token provides proof that the person presenting the token is privileged to access the account. In many instances, the token presenter may be required to present other information to access the account, such as a signature, PIN, out-of-wallet information, or identification document. However, such additional information is not necessarily a reliable identification double check because signature comparisons cannot be accurately compared by the human eye, a PIN can be stolen, out-of-wallet information takes too long to obtain and confirm for a common ID transaction, and identification documents in addition to the one presented are an inconvenience to carry.
There are two main deficiencies in the current methods of identity verification that contribute to the high level of identity fraud that exists: 1) identity verification and identity verification linked activities are too intricately tied to tokens that, in actuality, have little tie to the individual being identified and can easily be fabricated, lost, or stolen; and 2) identity verification is typically not based upon a traceable personal history of actions.
A significant problem with current identity verification methods is that they rely too heavily on the identification token. The token is problematic because its only tie to its owner is the information presented on it. Additionally, the only way that information is linked to the owner is through the verifiability that the document was generated by a reputable agency (typically the government) and knowledge that the owner presents. In essence, as long as the token looks as if it were issued by a reputable agency and as long as the presenter looks relatively similar to the individual pictured on the token and the token presenter has memorized the information printed or encoded on the token, the token presenter is recognized as the rightful token presenter. This identification could, in fact, be inaccurate, but because the token looks authentic and because an individual has verified that the token presenter looks similar to the individual on the token and knows the information displayed on the token, the individual has also verified the presenter. This is also a misconception of financial tokens: as long as the presenter can verbally or physically verify the information on the token or present an additional token to support the information on the initial token, the presenter's identity is approved.
Previously suggested solutions to this problem include systems wherein a computer chip is implanted in the token, such as a smart chip, that stores individual-specific information such as a biometric or PIN that is not printed on the card. The problem with such systems is that although they provide an alternative to one of the identification system's largest problems, the token, they do not provide any type of identity verification tracking that might help solve another of the problems with the current identity verifying system.
A second significant problem with current identity verification methods is that each occurrence of identity verification is usually cut off from all others. For example, there is no way of knowing whether or not an individual's identity has been verified at another location, whether that individual is using an identity token for the first time, or whether that individual has just been declined identity verification at another location. Therefore, the identity verifier has no frame of reference regarding how often and to what degree of certainty an individual's identity has been verified.
What would be quite useful is a biometrically activated system and method that scores the verifiability that a person is who they claim to be both at an initial point of identification and at subsequent points of identification within the system. Biometric access of such a score would eliminate the inherent problems of the token, the human error often found with human recognition and verification, and would tie the identity verification process directly to the individual being identified, since biometrics—such as, but not limited to, fingerprints, retinal patterns, face ratios—are features of an individual that are biologically tied to them and which are difficult to change, lose, impersonate, or steal. It would also be useful to have a system that would provide identity verifiers with a score based upon the person's history of actions within the system which help indicate the likelihood that the person seeking identity verification is the rightful owner of the presented identity. It would also be useful to have a system that would give subsequent ID verifiers an indication of the quality of the initial identification of the presenter and help subsequent verifiers decide whether or not to trust the presenter at a glance. Not only would such a system and method increase the convenience and speed of identifications for both the presenter and the verifier, but in accessing an identification record through biometric authentication, the verifier would be further assured that the presenter's presented identity is valid, since biometrics are unique characteristics of each individual. Linking biometrics with the identity scoring process would be a more complete, secure, and convenient process of identity verification for all honest parties involved.